Sanitation truck driver vs tow truck driver

The differences between sanitation truck drivers and tow truck drivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a sanitation truck driver and a tow truck driver. Additionally, a tow truck driver has an average salary of $38,555, which is higher than the $37,044 average annual salary of a sanitation truck driver.

The top three skills for a sanitation truck driver include CDL, safety policies and post-trip. The most important skills for a tow truck driver are transport vehicles, CDL, and customer service.

Sanitation truck driver vs tow truck driver overview

	Sanitation Truck Driver	Tow Truck Driver
Yearly salary	$37,044	$38,555
Hourly rate	$17.81	$18.54
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	669,191	666,918
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Sanitation truck driver vs tow truck driver salary

Sanitation truck drivers and tow truck drivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sanitation Truck Driver	Tow Truck Driver
Average salary	$37,044	$38,555
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $48,000	Between $29,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	-	Auburn, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	City of Detroit
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between sanitation truck driver and tow truck driver education

There are a few differences between a sanitation truck driver and a tow truck driver in terms of educational background:

	Sanitation Truck Driver	Tow Truck Driver
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 61%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Business	Automotive Technology
Most common college	-	-

Sanitation truck driver vs tow truck driver demographics

Here are the differences between sanitation truck drivers' and tow truck drivers' demographics:

	Sanitation Truck Driver	Tow Truck Driver
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%	Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 3.3% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between sanitation truck driver and tow truck driver duties and responsibilities

Sanitation truck driver example responsibilities.

Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
Experience in front load box CNG trucks (compress natural gas) trucks
Follow GPS directives and maintain in constant communication with dispatch when necessary.
Follow GPS directives and maintain in constant communication with dispatch when necessary.

Tow truck driver example responsibilities.

Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
Operate tow truck and equipment (dollies, go jacks).
Drive rollback tow truck, load and unload cars, secure cars on truck bed, operate hydraulic, maintain truck
Right eye injury and ineligibility for CDL )
Job require current CDL with clean driving record.
Maintain contracts with several companies as well as CHP work.

Sanitation truck driver vs tow truck driver skills

Common sanitation truck driver skills

CDL, 28%
Safety Policies, 16%
Post-Trip, 13%
Garbage Collection, 6%
Safety Checks, 5%
Routine Maintenance, 5%

Common tow truck driver skills

Transport Vehicles, 22%
CDL, 17%
Customer Service, 14%
Loaders, 10%
AAA, 8%
Fuel Delivery, 5%

Sanitation Truck Driver vs. similar jobs

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Sanitation Truck Driver related jobs

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Transportation Industry
Sanitation Truck Driver
Sanitation Truck Driver vs Tow Truck Driver

Updated January 8, 2025

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